Are we worthy?
In May 2018, Confederate Motorcycles changed its name to
the less politically-charged Curtiss Motorcycle Co. and exchanged
internal combustion v-twins for electric powertrains. As newbs in the
electric vehicle market, the company partnered with Zero to develop
motors for the future direction of the company. Curtiss recently forged a
new partnership, a manufacturing pact with Fast Radius to bring the
Zeus concept to the public.
Introduced in 2018, Curtiss designers have given the Zeus project numerous facelifts. From the original prototype to the futuristic bobber and cafe racer to the current V8 rendition, the exercise has been a tour de force in design. Now, the company wants to go beyond renderings.
Utilizing
3-D printing, or as Fast Radius and Curtiss like to call it “hybrid
manufacturing processes”, the two companies hope to achieve the
distinctive V8-styling
of the concept. As of now, 100 units are already in production with
Fast Radius producing 60 parts and components at a yield of 95 percent.
“Our
partnership with Curtiss is ideal because it allows them to do what
they do best—designing stunning motorcycles—while we do what we do
best—matching the project with the right technology and getting quality
parts made quickly,” said Briann Simms, VP of Sales at Fast Radius.
“We’re looking forward to innovating with Curtiss as they grow their
brand.”
All that innovation and quality will come at a price, with an ultra-premium MSRP of $75,000. Touting the largest battery in an electric motorcycle
at 16.8 kWh and a 160 kWh motor producing 219 horsepower, the Zeus
certainly lives up to its name, but it might only be accessible to those
with a checkbook of the gods.
To address the issue of attainability, Curtiss plans to market their Psyche concept as a more feasible option at $30,000. With the Harley-Davidson releasing the LiveWire in 2019, the two American companies could soon duke it out for electric supremacy. That’s a funny statement considering the traditional background of both brands.
Two
short years after Curtiss Motorcycle Co. emerged, the company already
plans to release their first production model. This certainly makes us
wonder when we will see the Hades, Hera, and Psyche roll onto the assembly line...
